Recognising Common Running Injuries

A running injury can have many different causes including poor technique, wearing the wrong footwear, and overdoing it, but what should you do to address your pain? Here is a guide to some of the most common types of running injuries, which should not only inspire you to ensure you have the correct running shoes before you set off, but also help you identify exactly what an existing injury is and how it could have been caused.

Bear in mind that if the injury persists, you should seek advice from a medical professional.

Achilles Pain

Pain where the calf muscle connects to the heel bone could be Achilles tendonitis. Usually caused by tight calf muscles, wearing unsuitable footwear or overuse, this chronic injury worsens gradually until you are in constant pain when running. If you have a sudden and sharp pain when you are running, this could mean the Achilles tendon has torn. In this situation, see your GP immediately. Symptoms include aching and swelling in the Achilles area. Compare it to the opposite leg to check.

Treatment

Treat this with R.I.C.E. - rest, ice, compression and elevation. You will need to reduce the amount of training you do, and work on strengthening your calf muscles. Fitting heel raises into shoes could help with the pain.

Knee Pain

ain in the front of the knee when running, walking up stairs or squatting could be Chondromalacia. This can be caused by incorrect footwear, weak quadriceps or hamstring muscles, or overtraining.

As the NHS website points out here, knee pain may develop during running at the front of the knee, around the knee or behind the kneecap, and may be either dull or sharp and severe.

Treatment

Address your pain with R.I.C.E. - rest, ice, compression and elevation. Anti-inflammatory medication can help, while exercises that strengthen and stretch quadriceps and hamstrings will benefit you too. Also try balancing exercises and seek advice on the correct running shoes to minimise knee pain.

Lower Back Pain

This is caused by poor core strength, sitting at a desk or driving for long periods of time, or using incorrect lifting techniques. You may experience spasms, tightness, aching or limited mobility due to your back pain.

Treatment

Address your back pain with active rest. This can mean cross training such as swimming, or cycling etc. Taking anti-inflammatory medication can help too, as can massage, stretching and mobilisation exercises.

To find out about more common running injuries, take a look at the interactive guide here.

Tips for avoiding running injuries

• Make sure you warm up and cool down properly before you begin your run. This means five or ten minutes of brisk walking before and to end your run.
• Make sure you have appropriate running shoes. As you have seen from the guide above, they can mean the difference between sustaining an injury or not.
• Don't push yourself too far, too quickly. Consider following a plan like the Couch to 5k plan, which you can find out more about here.

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